THE Herald has set out to celebrate Phyllis Tuckwell’s 40th anniversary by raising £100 for every year that the hospice has provided its outstanding supportive and end-of-life care for patients living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer, and their families.

Every day the hospice care charity supports more than 250 patients, relatives and carers across west Surrey and north east Hampshire – in their own homes, in the community, at the hospice in Farnham and at the Beacon Centre in Guildford.

But as the NHS/Government only covers 20 per cent of its costs, it has to raise over £20,000 a day to do this.

Over the course of the hospice’s 40th anniversary year, the Herald team will be taking on a number of challenges to support Phyllis Tuckwell – starting this Saturday when daredevil sports editor David Garlant will be abseiling 100 metres down Portsmouth’s iconic Spinnaker Tower.

Another challenge will see Herald reporter Tom White skydive from 12,000ft above Salisbury Plain, experiencing freefall speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour.

And head of content Daniel Gee is also planning a number of escapades with his eldest daughter, four-year-old Ellie – including June’s Walk for the Wards, August’s Dash of Colour fun run and the Farnham Charity Bike Ride in aid of the hospice.

It doesn’t stop there though – with the Herald also holding its Festival of Transport in aid of the hospice on June 9, a Make and Bake later in the year, as well as stalls at numerous fetes, fayres and carnivals across the area.

The Herald has set up a fundraising page to help raise the £4,000 – and is welcoming donations now at justgiving.com/fundraising/heraldhospiceappeal

We’d love readers to get on board too – so if you have a great idea for a fundraising event or would like us to give your own fundraising efforts a plug in the paper and online, please email us at [email protected]

The £4,000 the Herald hopes to raise through its Phyllis at 40 appeal could pay for over a months’ care from one of Phyllis Tuckwell’s Hospice Care at Home nurses, who visit patients who have chosen to spend their last days, and to die, in the comfort of their own homes, instead of in hospital or at the hospice.

Watch this space for updates!

* The launch of the Herald’s appeal coincides with national Dying Matters Awareness Week (May 13-19), an opportunity for us all to think and talk about dying, death and bereavement.

Phyllis Tuckwell supports Dying Matters Awareness Week and the importance it places on bringing to the forefront matters which we may usually prefer not to discuss.

The charity runs open house sessions at the hospice in Farnham from 2pm to 4pm on Tuesdays, and at the Beacon Centre in Guildford from 10am to 2pm on Fridays, where anyone can go along to find out more about the care which it offers.

Everyone is welcome and there is no need to let them know that you are going – just drop in.

Visit the website www.pth.org.uk.

To donate to the Herald’s hospice cause, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/heraldhospiceappeal